Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge is one of five refuges managed in the North Louisiana Refuge Complex and one of 545 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System. It was established in 1997 through a unique partnership with the city of Monroe, Louisiana. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a free 99-year lease to manage the city-owned lake.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Louisiana |
| Size | 5,252 acres (computed from the boundary polygon) |
| FWS region | Region 4 |
| Center point | 32.6039, -92.0342 |
| Night sky | Noticeable light pollution (Black Marble reading 84) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Where to camp
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 1 is within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Most refuges do not allow overnight camping. The campgrounds listed are outside the refuge.
Fire nearby
- WildfireAshley 221
37 mi from the center point · 186 acres
- WildfireAshley 224
37 mi from the center point · 68 acres
- WildfireWhitlow Junction
41 mi from the center point · 360 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 5 miGrayson House ↗Monroe, LA
- 5.5 miSt. James United Methodist Church ↗Monroe, LA
- 5.6 miNeville High School ↗Monroe, LA
- 5.8 miMiller--Roy Building ↗Monroe, LA
- 6.1 miHarvey House ↗Monroe, LA
- 6.1 miBynum House ↗Monroe, LA
- 6.2 miMasur House ↗Monroe, LA
- 6.2 miKey--Mize House ↗West Monroe, LA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
5,252 acres, measured from the published boundary polygon. The agency’s own figure can differ where the boundary includes water or inholdings.
Source: How acreage is computed
Who manages Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What state is Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge in?
Louisiana.
Source: How states are assigned
Can I camp at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Sterlington Recreation Area, 5.3 miles out. 1 in all are within ten miles. Most refuges do not allow camping inside the refuge, so the campgrounds listed are outside it.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 32.604, -92.034. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Is there a fire near Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge right now?
3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Ashley 221 at 37 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 84 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, noticeable light pollution.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
33 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Grayson House and St. James United Methodist Church.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
- States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
- Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
- Description: Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.